Leeds United simply can’t afford to let Archie Gray leave in January amid interest from Borrusia Dortmund in singing him.
ESPN reported on Thursday (21 December) that the Bundesliga side are “seriously considering” a move for a number of young players, with the 17-year-old midfielder on the list of potential targets.
It added that the German club are yet to spend all of the £89.4million (€103million) they received from Real Madrid for Jude Bellingham over the summer, suggesting they have money in the bank to make a few “quality additions” to their squad once the transfer window comes around.
Gray has long been earmarked as an exceptional talent at Thorp Arch after former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa named him in the first-team squad against Arsenal in December 2021 when he was just 15.
After some injury setbacks followed, he finally made his senior debut on the opening day of this season against Cardiff City at Elland Road.
The midfielder has now emerged as one of the first names on the teamsheet under Daniel Farke, making 21 starts in his 23 appearances during this campaign.
Having been promoted to the England U-20 setup, Gray has also been showing his ability to play at right-back this season, having nailed down that spot ahead of club stalwart Luke Ayling over the past couple of months.
It’s that versatility – alongside his obvious talent – that has led to several of Europe’s biggest clubs being linked with a move for the teenager.
Dortmund have a successful track record of picking up young talents from across the continent and turning them into some of the best players in world football.
After Bellingham made the £22.75million move to the German side in 2020, he took his game to another level, earning international recognition and a big-money move to Real Madrid over the summer.
The opportunity to achieve that much success and the chance to play Champions League football at such a young age would be appealing to any young player, including Gray.
But Leeds have to convince him that he’s better off remaining at Elland Road, where he is almost guaranteed a first-team spot and is in with a shout of playing Premier League football next season.
The midfielder has shown that he possesses similar qualities to Bellingham, with his height, ability on the ball and willingness to get stuck in and make tackles.
That is why the interest in signing him is only likely to increase as January approaches, but the Whites must do all they can to ensure he’s still playing his football in West Yorkshire once February comes around.
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